Posted on 07/10/2009 10:20:41 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Afghanistan’s Taliban movement turned their attention to the U.S. role in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa in an article published in the latest issue of the Taliban’s Arabic-language magazine, al-Sumud (Media Center of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan-Taliban, June 27).
The article, entitled “Somalia: Next Target for the Global Tyrant, the United States of America,” focused on the alleged neo-colonial ambitions of the United States, especially in respect to the consolidation and exploitation of African energy resources. The author, using the name Anwar, maintains that God provided Muslims ample blessings in the form of natural resources, but Muslim inattentiveness and inability to benefit from these resources has allowed “the cunning enemy” to take advantage of them. “This is indeed an unforgiveable crime committed by the Muslims against themselves!”
The author accuses America of seeking to create chaos and insecurity in Africa as the first step in controlling Africa’s resources. Somalia is their “first and most important target.” Despite its lack of confirmed oil or gas reserves, the author describes Somalia as “a country rich with oil wells.” There is some energy exploration ongoing off the coast of northern Somalia’s semi-autonomous province of Puntland, but the main player in this effort is Range Resources, an Australian rather than American company.
Citing unnamed Russian analysts who “stated that the United States has prepared a plan for a long war in Africa,” the author claims American concerns over piracy in Somalia are nothing more than an excuse to justify an eventual military occupation of Somalia, arguing “In fact, the United States is seeking to find a situation that justifies the necessity of deploying its soldiers in Africa. Therefore, Somalia, Sudan, and Libya will submit to the U.S. power, especially since these three Islamic countries are rich in high quantities of natural resources and minerals, as indicated by recent studies.” American support for Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) as led by veteran Islamist Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmad is described as the result of Washington’s “need for a supportive or agent government to facilitate its seizure of natural resources like minerals and [oil] wells.”
The article clearly supports Somalia’s extremist Mujahideen Youth Movement (better known as al-Shabaab) in its efforts to take control of Somalia. In an oblique reference to Western criticism of the amputations, beatings and executions carried out by al-Shabaab’s ad-hoc Islamic courts, the author suggests “the United States sometimes accuses the Shari'a courts of violating human rights and being careless about them” as part of its effort to dominate Somalia.
The Taliban examination of American policies in Africa concludes by predicting a U.S. colonial expansion in Africa that will not be restricted to Somalia alone. “When war breaks out, the whole of Africa will go up in flames, especially Sudan and Libya.”
Yeah, we’d much rather go and take oil from the Africans than use Mexico’s or Canada’s.
Besides, the Africans have no idea what to do with oil. They’d rather be pirates.
"The article clearly supports Somalia’s extremist Mujahideen Youth Movement (better known as al-Shabaab) in its efforts to take control of Somalia. In an oblique reference to Western criticism of the amputations, beatings and executions carried out by al-Shabaab’s ad-hoc Islamic courts, the author suggests “the United States sometimes accuses the Shari'a courts of violating human rights and being careless about them” as part of its effort to dominate Somalia."
If I were a betting man I would say that in 25 years Africa will be to China what the Middle East is to the US.
I would agree...China will become “the” trading partner of most of Africa in twenty years. Count on cheap Chinese cars being sold in Africa to the average guy. Count on military sales going up. And I would make a guess that Chinese tourists will start showing up by 2015 in Africa...and going on to make a huge market there.
Required reading in U.S. mosks?
yitbos
WTF? We have more coal and natural gas than any other nation on Earth and we invented nuclear power!! That’s not to even mention biofuels from switchgrass, tarsands, oil shale, solar and wind power! Why in the world would we be digging around in the most God-forsaken continent on the planet? Because Dear Leader was born there?!
Translation: "We're too busy getting boners stoning women and using kids to deliver bombs."
yitbos
It seems that they would be more afraid of Chinese influence there.
They already are.
If you want to see the future of Africa look at Namibia where the Chinese have essentially bought the government there and most of the natural resources.
They bring all their workers from China, house them in guarded compounds and bring in almost all of the supplies for them from China. They do not hire the locals except for the most menial of tasks and they make no local purchases unless absolutely necessary. Almost all of the workers they bring in are young men with military training, which is very helpful in case the local government wants to try to weasel out of the deal they made with the Chinese.
you say that like it's a "bad" thing....
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